


Nineteen Ninety-Four

by CiciWeezil



Series: Before the Thunder [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Harry Potter was Raised by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, M/M, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 03:33:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29619942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CiciWeezil/pseuds/CiciWeezil
Summary: It's time for the Quidditch World Cup! Ireland v. Bulgaria - who will win? Harry and Kitty don't really care - they're just hyped for the chance to witness the event, and to learn some new Quidditch plays for their fourth year. Unfortunately, they won't be able to use them, because Quidditch is cancelled for the whole year! Instead, Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament, where one Champion from each of the three European schools will compete for glory and fame.Still, nothing is quite as it seems, and the dark forces are intent on disrupting these once-in-a-lifetime events. Will Harry and his friends be able to overcome the challenges that await them? Better yet, will Harry even have his friends to depend on?
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Before the Thunder [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1053980
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	1. Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to whatever great power that exists in the beyond, I DEFINITELY uploaded this back in January. I have a very vivid memory of it. Perhaps I dreamt it? Anyways, here it is. Finally! For reals this time. (hopefully).
> 
> I've been working on this for MONTHS, while balancing school, work, and other stuff. It's been stressful, but I'm happy to finally publish the very first chapter of Year 4. I hope you all enjoy it, and please leave a comment down below.

Sirius stared at the corkboard on the wall, his eyes following the red strings from one pin to the next.

McGrath cleared her throat. “You really think staring at it for three hours is gonna help today?”

“We’re missing something,” said Sirius. 

“You say that everyday.”

“Yeah, because we haven’t figured it out.”

Something tapped the back of his head just then, and he turned to see a paper airplane floating at his eye level. Plucking it out of the air, he unfolded and read it silently. 

“Regulus wants us,” Sirius told his partner.

“When does he not?” 

As they walked together to Regulus’ office, McGrath sighed. “Taking Reg and Liam off the team was bad enough. Did Fudge have to put him at the other end of the department? Is he that passive aggressive?”

“Apparently,” he replied as they reached his brother’s office. “You summoned us, little brother?”

Regulus, like Sirius had been, was staring at the corkboard on his office wall. “Aye,” was his only response.

The two newcomers turned to the room’s other inhabitant.

“We have a missing persons case,” Bradley explained, holding up files to both of them. “Bertha Jorkins, 38, Ministry employee in the Department of Magical Games and Sports.”

Both Sirius and McGrath looked alarmed.

“That can’t be coincidence,” said McGrath. “Someone from that department going missing right before…”

“That’s exactly what Crouch said,” Regulus agreed. “Scrimgeour has given us the case, and we’ll also have Shacklebolt tomorrow when he returns from Bulgaria. He’s overseeing security at the event.”

Sirius nodded. “Well, Reg, you had the case first, so you’re in charge.”

Regulus rubbed the back of his neck, his face in deep thought. “We’ll need to double security, but those plans must wait until Shacklebolt gets here. For now, we’ll work a few different angles.”

“If her disappearance has anything to do with a known foe, then we may have some luck trying to connect her to the Ministry’s most wanted list,” said Bradley, motioning to ten pinned wanted posters. The first slot was taken by none other than Bellatrix herself.

“At least four of them have motives to interfere with the World Cup,” said Regulus. 

“Reg, would Voldemort have given Bellatrix any instructions on what to do if something happened to him?” asked Sirius.

“A contingency plan?” McGrath clarified.

But the younger Black shook his head. “The horcruxes were his contingency plan. Voldemort was a loner. He didn’t want or need anyone, and his followers were just pawns to him. He may have left a horcrux in her care, but he wouldn’t have told Bellatrix what it was.”

“Just like Lucius,” said Sirius. “He didn’t know what the diary was.”

McGrath scoffed. “How is that man not in Azkaban?”

“Because we don’t want him or the others to know how significant that diary was,” said Sirius, lowering his voice. “If the Death Eaters knew that Voldemort had horcruxes…”

They heard two quick raps on the door.

Regulus didn’t look away from the wanted photos. “Enter.”

“You summoned me?” asked a tired-looking Kingsley Shacklebolt as he closed the door behind him.

“Aye,” said Regulus. “We’ve got to re-evaluate security measures at the World Cup.”

Shacklebolt raised an eyebrow, glancing at each of them. Perhaps he saw the concern in their eyes, or the notes on the corkboard, as he didn’t argue.

After a deep breath, the younger man braced himself. “What are your recommendations?”

* * *

“Charlie, he doesn’t need a winter cloak,” said Bill, shaking his head.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be a hundred degrees and stuff,” Ron informed them.

“Japan is further south than Britain,” Bill explained, having more worldly knowledge than his younger siblings. “So it’s warmer in the summer.”

“But it still rains,” said Ginny. “So he can take his rain cloak.”

Charlie shrugged and re-hung Percy’s winter coat, exchanging it for the waterproof one.”

Meanwhile, Percy Weasley was pacing his room, muttering Japanese phrases to himself, and checking his Japanese textbook to see if he’d said it correctly.

Bill magicked his trunk closed.

“Hey, Perce,” said Fred. “You’re all packed.”

Percy looked up, surprised. “That was fast…”

“It took an hour,” said Charlie, sitting down on what was once his bed. “You were a bit… preoccupied, so we snagged your list and packed for you.”

The third Weasley smiled at them. “Than- I mean, _arigatou_.” 

The others gave him amused looks as he gave them a slight bow.

“Well, little brother,” said Bill. “We hope you have a good time at the conference.”

“Aye,” said Charlie. “Not everyone gets to attend a big event for the International Confederation of Wizards.”

“Let us know if they all look like Dumbledore,” said Fred.

“That would be absurd,” said Percy. “The ICW is the most diverse organization in the magical world. Dumbledore is a Supreme Mugwump, but he’s the only European one, so the other members couldn’t possibly look like him due to ethnic differences.”

There was silence for a moment.

Ginny cleared her throat. “Perce, I think he meant… if they all look old.”

Percy blinked. “Oh…”

The room erupted in laughter, loud enough to deflate their mother’s souffle a few stories below. Molly Weasley sighed and decided to take Augusta up on her offer to bake in her kitchen sometime.

Perhaps she’d be able to bake such a delicate dessert in her house after the twins finally moved out, if that ever happened…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come join Beta On It, mine and Monoceros260's discord server! You can connect directly to us and fellow fanfiction lovers!
> 
> https://discord.gg/k8XztRzvEK


	2. Flower and Prongs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy end of February!! We're celebrating Dr. Seuss Read Across America at work this week (an elementary/primary school). I'm very excited for so many things happening this year. 
> 
> Let's start with... congrats to Sardoche for winning PogChamps! I realized recently that I actually like chess despite being terrible at it. 
> 
> I'll go over more in the E/N. Let's just jump into the chapter, shall we? Be sure to leave a comment! I'm always looking for good critique!

To most, both mundane and magical kind, the small town in Lancashire known as Little Hangleton was of little significance. The townsfolk lived a simple life of working, smiling, knowing every other person in the town by name, and scratching their heads every time a rebellious teenager said they hated it there. 

They distrusted strangers, as is the custom of small towns, but greeted them with a hospitality unbecoming larger settlements, and oftentimes would warm up to them quickly, when the strangers finally stopped being strangers. 

Truth be told, the people of Little Hangleton were some of the friendliest England had to offer, particularly after the two unfriendly families ceased to exist: the Riddles and the Gaunts.

The Riddles had been a rather wealthy family, so their mysterious deaths in 1943 were the talk of the town. Their house, which many argued was haunted (hoping, and failing, to draw in tourists), still stood at the top of a hill overlooking the town. 

The Gaunts, on the other hand, had lived in a shack at the other edge of town, which had been in shambles since their disappearance. No one dared enter, for fear of the roof caving in, and no one was surprised when, on Halloween in 1981, the roof actually did cave in.

Regardless, no one in Little Hangleton missed the Riddles or the Gaunts, with one exception. 

76-year-old Frank Bryce had been the caretaker for the Riddle House since his early adult years, and although the police had originally suspected him upon the deaths of his employers, there was never any evidence or motive tying him to any murders. 

Many in the town liked to say Frank and the Riddle House were a package deal, for all three of the subsequent owners of the house kept Frank on as caretaker. The teenagers in the town liked to say that Frank Bryce had died a decade ago, and it was his ghost that now chased them off when their friends double-dared them to sneak in. Frank, however, was simply trying to live his life in peace after the deaths of his first employers.

That peace, unfortunately, was interrupted one warm Tuesday night in late August of 1994. From his house at the edge of the grounds, he had easily spotted the light in the window of the Riddle House. 

With a sigh, he grumbled, “Damn kids couldn’t have waited two more days for school to start.”

He continued to mutter under his breath as he grabbed his torch and hobbled off to the house to tell the vandals to go solve their boredom problems at an arcade.

Poor Frank Bryce never saw any of it coming. Not the eerie whispers of a woman with wild hair and frightening wide eyes, nor the heartless grin of the young man, or the gigantic snake whose breed he could not identify, and especially not the pale creature sitting in the chair, croaking orders and raising a white stick at him, muttering, _“Avada Kedavra!”_

* * *

Fourteen-year-old Harry gasped and sat straight up in his bed. He was met with complete darkness, his breath labored. He flinched and rubbed his scar, which was stinging. Finally, his eyes adjusted, and he squinted at the alarm clock next to his bed. It was only half past two in the morning. 

His thoughts turned back to just a few moments ago when he’d been trapped in a nightmare. It came in bits and pieces. A large, scary snake, a raspy voice, frightening grey eyes… and a flash of green light. 

This, Harry quickly realized, was not his usual nightmare. Rather than his mother’s death, this was something new. But, to his knowledge, it couldn’t be a memory, as he’d never experienced anything like it before. 

His scar twinged again, and Harry felt a slight panic, glancing around wildly as he remembered what his scar usually signified. 

Although he convinced himself that Voldemort was not, in fact, in his bedroom, he still slipped out of bed and shuffled across the hall to Sirius’ and Remus’ room. A soft orange light glimmered underneath. He opened the door quietly and peaked in. 

Sirius was sat up in bed, the candle on his bedside lit, a book in his hands. 

“Come on in, Prongslet,” he said, patting the bed. 

Harry gladly accepted the invitation and crawled in next to Remus’ sleeping form. The werewolf stirred, breathing in deeply, and one arm reached for Harry before he settled back to sleep.

“Nightmare?” Sirius asked in a low voice.

“Aye,” said Harry, gulping once. “A new one.”

In the candlelight, he could tell Sirius was a little surprised. The auror closed his book and set it aside. “We can talk about it in the morning. Try to get some sleep for now.”

With that, he blew out the candle and laid down with them.

* * *

“Merlin, I’ve never seen her this excited before,” said Regulus.

“Aye, sometimes I wonder…” said Sirius thoughtfully. “Did you raise her, or did Twilight?”

Regulus gave him a playful glare. “I’m not the excitable parent.”

“Don’t look at me,” said Ruth. “She was like this before I met either of you.”

Meanwhile, Kitty was practically bouncing off the walls.

“We’re. Going. To. The World Cup!” she cried. “I can’t believe it!!”

“Me neither,” said Draco, who, like Harry, expressed his excitement in a calmer manner. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!”

“Once in a lifetime?” Harry repeated. “That implies we don’t make it to the World Cup very often. Bit pathetic, considering the game was invented in the British Isles.”

Draco sighed. “Yeah, when you put it that way…”

“Who cares how often it happens?! It could be the biggest sporting event of our young lives!” Kitty looked ready to burst.

“Well, then,” said Sirius, catching their attention. “If we don’t want to be late, then I suppose we should finish our shopping and get home to pack.”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Kitty punched the air, and led the way to Flourish and Blotts, where they eagerly picked up their fourth year textbooks.

“One more stop,” said Remus, pointing to the Diagon Alley Daycare, where they had arrived from earlier, before it was open.

Inside, they were greeted by Maddy, who was looking down at a scroll. “Welcome to Diagon Alley Daycare, how can I hel- oh, it’s you lot! How are you? Finished shopping?”

“Hi, Maddy!” Kitty greeted her with a hug. “I wish we could stay a bit, but we’ve got packing to do.”

Maddy chuckled.

“I brought some curriculum things Augusta asked for,” said Remus, once all the pleasantries were out of the way. He pointed to three binders on the desk, which he had placed there earlier when they’d arrived in Diagon Alley.

“Thanks, she’ll be glad to see these. We’re opening another class for older students, so this will be a big help.”

They quickly bid Maddy farewell, stepping into a backroom to floo back to Grimmauld Place, while Draco and his mother stayed behind. Narcissa had a few things to do before they closed for a week.

“I’m glad the daycare has a large fireplace,” said Remus. “It makes travelling to and fro much faster.”

“Aye, and it’s safer,” said Sirius.

They both glanced at Harry, who looked queasy.

“I still don’t like flooing,” Harry explained. “It turns my stomach.”

His uncles nodded understandingly.

“Right then, let’s get packed. We’ve an early start tomorrow,” said Regulus. 

“How early?” asked Kitty.

“Very,” said Ruth.

Kitty groaned, always one to sleep in. Still, she made sure to take her time and pack her things properly.

Up in his room, Harry neatly folded his pajamas into his rucksack. He looked around, checking off items in his head. His eyes stopped at his desk, where four stuffed creatures sat on a shelf just above his workspace. 

His first thought was that of embarrassment. He was fourteen now. Surely he didn’t need a stuffed animal? Not for a simple overnight trip… After all, Sirius and Remus would be with him the whole time. 

But Mum and Dad won’t, he thought. His birth parents had never been to a Quidditch World Cup, and, as Draco said, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Harry shrugged his worries away, plucked Flower and Prongs off his desk, and tucked them into his backpack.

Sirius peaked in. “All done?”

“Yes,” said Harry.

“Want to stay with us tonight?” asked Sirius.

That morning, whilst Remus cooked breakfast, Harry had told them both about his nightmare, and the difference in details. Both seemed confused, and perhaps a little worried, since his scar had also stung during it. But neither had answers. 

“Definitely a Dumbledore question,” Remus had said, while Sirius nodded in agreement.

Remembering how frightened he’d felt last night, Harry nodded, heaving his rucksack up so he could place it downstairs with the others.

“Dinner time!” Remus called. “And then it’s baths and off to bed!”

Excitement racing through him, Harry followed a hyper Kitty down the stairs to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Animal Crossing MARIO UPDATE!!! And MARIO 35th Anniversary!!!
> 
> POKEMON 25th ANNIVERSARY!!! POKEMON SNAP RETURNS!!!
> 
> Best of all...  
>  **POKEMON DIAMOND PEARL REMAKES**
> 
> I'm honestly more excited about this than Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (and I legit cried when I first started up Omega Ruby because Ruby was my first main series Pokemon game that I owned and finished on my own). I just... holy goshin' hecks the excitement is killing me. 
> 
> Let me tell you, my life this year is going to be moving from one twitch stream to the next while playing Animal Crossing, New Pokemon Snap, and [eventually] Pokemon Brilliant Diamond.
> 
> As for other life stuffs... 
> 
> I probably have OCD, like, literally. 
> 
> I've started a bullet journal, and it was the BEST CHOICE I'VE EVER MADE. EVER. 
> 
> I'm going to be finished with my math credits for my degree after this semester (finished the writing credits last semester). 
> 
> My workplace gifted me a mini-fridge because I willingly babysat my coworkers' children (staff kids) while the rest of the staff participated in a scavenger hunt. I love these kids so I didn't mind, but I really appreciate the recognition. This was followed by my coworker writing a shout-out, which was secretly e-mailed to the rest of the staff so people came up to me all day to say thanks, good job, or just to high-five me and I was really confused at first, and then very flattered.
> 
> Oh! And I took my second math exam and got a 96/100, which will be a 100/100 because the prof awards 4% extra credit for completing the practice exam. She's an awesome prof.
> 
> That's all for now. Thanks for reading my author's notes that sometimes sound like diary entries (I'm totally not laughing awkwardly after this realization).


End file.
